Chrome and The Explorer
by MissRaingo
Summary: Chrome is cruising on the chrome cycle one day and runs across a strange old man on a nearly deserted server. Curious, Chrome stops and they have a little chat. Originally posted on DeviantArt on an alternate account.


Colors flashed by as Chrome rode on his Chrome Cycle. She had caught no bugs lately, they were raising along at high speed, and she was in top condition. He couldn't have been happier. Chrome was going no where and everywhere, wandering amongst the servers of countless users. As he flew silently through the darkness, a strange thing suddenly caught his eye and caused him to slow.

A odd, aging old man hobbled through the dimly lit space. This was a dusty area, a rarely used server. He was surprised this was an area he could even access. Who would've cared to download his data to such a rarely used space? As the chrome cycle glided to a stop, the weathered old man turned to look at him in surprise. His clothes were ragged and old. He wore a backpack which wore at the seams; things spilling from the holes in its worn out corners. The eyes that looked to him were tired ones, but seeped in information.

"Now, who might've come to visit an empty place like this? No one comes here anymore." The man's voice was hoarse and unused, but he smiled as he observed the lanky, futuristic youth.

"I'm just passing through. Are you lost?" asked Chrome.

The old man frowned. "Hmmmmm...lost? No. I...I think this is the last server that really uses me, son." Chrome frowned as well at that. Could a dusty server like this really be the last place the old man was used in?

"My name is Chrome." He held out his hand to the man, and the old man took it warmly in his own.

"You can call me The Explorer, though I don't do much of that these days." He smiled again and chuckled. "How about you sit down and we have a chat? It's been a long time since a young man like you has come to this server." The explorer set down his knobbly walking stick and sat next to it on the ground. Chrome slid down casually to the floor as well, leaning against the chrome cycle.

"Are you a browser?" Chrome asked curiously.

"Indeed, if you can still call me that. Not a lot of people really browsin' with me anymore...no. I take you're the same? You must need to get around a lot with a fandangled ride like that. You can't be to shabby with the ladies either with that ride, eh?" The old man chuckled again. Chrome chuckled with him.

"Ahhhhh well I can't say that. My cycle is my love anyways..." He trailed off, fondly tracing the red line of the wheel with his finger.

"No good with that, sonny. A man married to his ride is doomed to journey off and never come back at some point. A young man like you needs a good woman to keep him from wandering to far." He smiled quietly, reminiscing.

"Well, I don't really think I know any girls who'd be interested." Chrome wondered about that for a second. There was Pinterest, but they were just friends. He was pretty sure she had a crush on DeviantArt, too. Facebook liked to gossip a little too much. Pixiv was nice enough, and FanFiction...well she was a bit...off? She couldn't seem to stop trying to get him and Firefox to meet up, and whenever she did she had her laptop ready...

"That's what women make ye think! But then they surprise you. I bet they're all dreaming of riding on that motorcycle of yours." He laughed heartily. "I have my own stories about women, quite a few. Ahh, MySpace was a good lass. She knew how to have a good time, that girl. Quite a beauty too." Chrome scratched his head awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure to make of the old man. Who knew where his stories might head...  
"I used to do a lot of exploring you know. Went into the farthest servers, found interesting information in the sea of different webpages. There was always something new to learn, at the beginning. Then of course, old dogs don't learn new tricks as they say, and I don't have nearly as many servers to roam. That's alright though, I have plenty of cookies to much on while I wait." He took one of the cookies out, munching on it. He offered one to Chrome as well but he refused.

"Wait for what? For this server to be used again?" Chrome doubted this one would be used any time soon, it hadn't been used for at least a year.

"Oh no, I'm going to be replaced soon. They have to make a new one to keep up with all ye fast younguns. maybe she'll be the right lass?" Nudging Chrome knowingly, The Explorer grinned slyly as if already getting ideas about what sort of interesting things Chrome and his "replacement" would be getting into. The younger browser was troubled though.

"A replacement? You're being replaced?"

"Oh yes. No one wants an old man like me around anymore, too many speedy ones like you to go around." He continued to smile, but it was a slightly sadder grin now. "A younger model will be able to keeP up better, cLean up a bitit."

As his words began to scramble The Explorers form glitched, fading in and out.

"E-explorer? You okay? Hey.." Chrome reached out to touch him, but his hand went through the flickering image of the man as if nothing was there. "Explorer?! Hey, Explorer!" The weathered old man simply continued smiling sadly at Chrome.

"Loo Ks likkkeee Th The Y''r ing me DoooOOownnn. ."

"Wait! I'm sure you could still hang around with the new version, right?!" He was barely visible now, he flickered erratically, disappearing for a couple seconds before reappearing again. Chrome though he saw something glimmering on the mans check as he shook his head sadly.

"hwen hes coMes ShE cOmeS  
giVe rhe  
A hcance ooooOKk?

He gave Chrome and his love one last smile.

"TrUlyyy a bebEuatifUllll rId-"

Silence. Dust continued to settle on the old, unused server. Chrome sat still under the falling dust. After a while, he brushed himself off and took a final glance at where the old man had been. Then he was off into the night again, riding through the servers. He savored the dark, the glow of the cycle's wheels, the speed. He rode until the dust was left behind him. He rode until the memory of the old man's tears was forgotten, until they were replaced by his smiles.


End file.
